Create The Most Photorealistic Images on MidJourney — Success Prompting Formula & 100+ Cheat Codes (Part 1)
Use my Success Prompting Formula & Simple Cheat Codes to create the most Jaw-Dropping Photorealistic Images on MidJourney!
If later you find this article valuable, throw me some Medium love! 🥰 What you can do to support me: Clap up to 50, leave a message, highlight some text if you see fit & be sure to follow. 💌
Creating amazingly photorealistic images on MidJourney is easy, and you surely do not need ChatGPT to help you write the prompt either. But how?
After a ton of trial and error, I’m going to share in this article my MidJourney Photorealistic Images Success Prompting Formula, together with my 100+ Cheat Codes, for you to create the most photorealistic images on MidJourney!
👉🏻 MidJourney now works best with short & precise prompts. That’s WHY you need this Prompting Formula & Cheat Codes!
In case you didn’t know already, the latest MidJourney versions (V5.1 & V5.2 onwards) actually work better, in fact, WAY better if you use short and precise prompts, especially with photorealistic images that I will talk about today.
According to the MidJourney team:
Long prompts with unnecessary words, lengthy descriptions, and poetic phrases, can lead to unexpected elements being added to your images.
It’s time to say goodbye to long prompts that look like mini novels!
Let’s dive into my MidJourney Photorealistic Images Success Prompting Formula and 100+ Cheat Codes for Photorealistic Images on MidJourney, so you can easily use very few words to describe exactly what you want, to create the most photorealistic images effortlessly!
💡My MidJourney Photorealistic Images Success Prompting Formula
After testing out hundreds if not thousands of times, I’ve created this success formula for prompting, which can help you create the most photorealistic images on MidJourney:
Photography Theme/ Style + Description of Image Content + Image Angle + Image Focus + Lighting + Weather / Time of Day + Camera/ Film Types + Description of Realism + Complete Guide to Aspect Ratios + My Secret Bonus Tips
Based on this success formula, I’m going to categorize the cheat codes into the following:
📌 Photography Themes/ Styles (Covering in THIS Article)
📌 Image Angles (Covering in THIS Article)
📌 Image Focus (Covering in THIS Article)
📌 Lighting (Part 2 of the Article)
📌 Weather/ Time of Day (Part 2 of the Article)
📌 Camera/ Film Types (Part 3 of the Article)
📌 Description of Realism (Part 3 of the Article)
📌 Complete Guide to Aspect Ratios (Part 3 of the Article)
✨ Bonus Tips: Specific MidJourney Parameters (Part 4 and Part 5 of the Article!)
In Part 2 of this article, I will share the cheat codes for Lighting + Weather / Time of Day (and amazing images with their prompts) , check it out afterwards: 😊
And in Part 3 of this article, I will share the cheat codes for Camera/ Film Types + Description of Realism + Complete Guide to Aspect Ratios , and of course, more jaw-dropping photorealistic images with prompts:
In Part 4, I will share 3 of the 8 My Secret Bonus Tips :
In the last Part 5 of the article that was just published, I will share the rest of My Secret Bonus Tips :
In this article, let’s explore the cheat codes for:
Photography Theme/ Style+Image Angle+Image Focus
Let’s go!
📌 Photography Themes/ Styles
- Glamour Shot (Portrait that maximizes the subject’s beauty. Involve makeup, wardrobe choices, and fine-tuned poses)
Glamour shot of an instagram model, ocean grunge style --ar 4:3
- Street Style Photography
Street style photography, a Turkish man with black hair and full beard, walking on a sidewalk in Broadway while carying a leather laptop case on shoulder, wearing a royal blue blazer, sunset lighting, ultra realism
- Portrait
Portrait of an elderly french woman with deep wrinkles and a warm smile, mint green linen scarf, realistic image --ar 3:4
- Candid Photo (A photograph captured without creating a posed appearance)
Portrait photography of a young woman in corn field, candid photo, dreamlike lighting, sunlight shining through in her hair, 85mm, f 1.2, --ar 4:3
- Micro Photography
Micro photography of a bee on a sunflower petal with water droplets, ultra detailed --ar 16:9
- Underwater Photography
Ultrarealistic underwater photography of a red hair woman in white dress --ar 16:9
- Wildlife Photography
Wildlife photography of a lion and her son, ultra realistic --ar 16:9
- Nature Photography
Cabo da roca nature photography, sunset hour, DSLR, photorealistic --ar 16:9
- Lifestyle Photography (Lifestyle photography is about capturing people in their natural environment, they’re designed to feel more authentic and genuine)
Lifestyle photography of a mom with her two kids, realistic image --ar 16:9
- Catchlight Photography (Catchlight refers to the reflection of the light source in the subject’s eyes to enhance their appearance and make them look more alive)
Close up portrait of a blonde woman, catchlight photography, DSLR, cinematic, by Richard Avedon --ar 3:2
- Product Photography
Product photography of coffee beans cascading out of a burlap sack, rustic look, ultra realistic --ar 16:9
- Photojournalism Photography/ Associated Press Photography (Using photography to tell a story)
Photojournalism photography of a Norwegian fisherwoman, harsh winter environment, rugged attire, vivid details, low light --ar 3:2
Are you enjoying these cheat codes for photorealistic images so far? You may also be interested in this article, where I shared a collection of ultra-realistic images. Enjoy:
- Catalogue Photography
Catalogue Photography of a diamond ring sparkling under a spotlight, reflective background, ultra detailed
- Documentary Photography (Photography that provides a straightforward and accurate representation of people, places, objects and events)
Documentary photography of a rally happening in Paris, wide angle realistic shot --ar 4:3
- Tilt Shift Photography (The camera is manipulated so that a life-sized location or subject looks like a miniature-scale model)
Tilt shift Photography of Hong Kong buildings, aerial angle --ar 16:9
- Food Photography
Food photography of a drizzle of maple syrup on a stack of fluffy pancakes, blueberries, Luxurious Michelin Kitchen Style --ar 16:9 --s 400 
- Black and White Photography
Black and white photography, a man and a woman are sitting in a sidewalk cafe in 1969 Paris,60s French fashion style, cinematic lighting, realistic --ar 16:9
- National Geographic Photography
National geographic photography of a bouncing cheetah in the mud, ultra detailed photograph, 1/500 shutter speed, DSLR --style raw --s 400
- Unsplash Photography (Stock photography website that has a cinematic, realistic look, it works especially well for imaginative aesthetic)
Unsplash Photography of a woman jumping in the air with an umbrella, minimalist backgrounds, colorful street murals, yellow and black, uhd image --ar 16:9
- Film Grain Photography (It refers to small flecks or “grains” in an image that are a product of analog methods of capturing still and moving images)
1940s American male farmer, in front of a rustic barn, faded denim overalls, aged Leica M3, sepia tone, film grain, vintage style --ar 3:2
- Time-Lapse Photography (Time-lapse photography is used to capture change or movement that occurs over a long period of time)
Time-Lapse Photography of a road in Hong Kong with busy traffic, night time, UHD image, high contrast, --ar 16:9
- Motion Photography (Photography that shows movement of a person/ object)
Motion photography of a Samoan fire dancer, dynamic pose, tattooed body, flame trail, DSLR, long exposure, powerful contrast, HDR image --ar 3:2
- High-Speed Photography (High-speed photography is the art of capturing very fast phenomena on camera that you otherwise couldn’t see with your naked eye)
High-speed photography of a pineapple hitting the water, black background, uhd image --ar 4:3
- Pinhole Photography (Created with a camera that is nothing more than a light-tight box with a tiny hole that projects an image on film, which gives a unique aesthetic)
Pinhole photography, inside a foggy forest, muddy, dreamy lighting, black and white --ar 4:3
- Stop Motion Photography (a technique used to create the illusion of movement by capturing a series of still images and playing them in quick succession)
Stop motion photography of a female black runner who is about to run, side profile angle, eye level, uhd image --ar 4:3
- Action Scene Photography
Intense action scene photography, two men in cowboy hats run with guns in the field, dusty piles, realistic image --ar 4:3
📌 Image Angles
- Close Up
Close up shot, portrait of a Tuareg man from Sahara Desert in traditional blue attire, high contrast, UHD image --ar 3:2
- 3/4 Profile
3/4 profile shot, Filipino Jeepney driver, middle aged man with weathered face, shallow depth of field, high contrast --ar 3:2
- Side Profile
Side profile portrait, a swedish teenage girl, monochrome, dynamic shadow, strong contrast, dusk, cinematic --ar 3:2
- Back Angle/ Behind Shot
Back angle of a couple walking on the beach, full body shot, photorealistic, golden hour --ar 3:2
- Wide Angle
Wide angle shot of a teenage boy on top of a tall building in hong kong, bird eye angle, film grain --ar 16:9
- Fish Eye Angle/ Fish Eye Photography
Fish eye angle, a young man overlooking at an industrial site overlooking the sky, UHD --ar 3:2
- Eye Level Shot (Your subject is at eye-level. An eye level shot can result in a neutral perspective, as this mimics how we see things in real life)
Eye level shot of an old asian woman selling fruits in a local market in Bangkok, vibrant color, high contrast, hyperrealistic, natural light --ar 3:2
- Low Angle Shot/ Low Camera Angle (The shot is below a subject’s eyeline)
Low angle shot of a smiling 2 year old boy. DSLR, very realistic, morning light shining through his hair --ar 3:2
- High Angle Shot/ High Camera Angle (The shot is above a subject’s eyeline)
Retro style high-angle shot of a black woman, shot on Fujifilm Pro 400H, morning soft lighting --ar 16:9
- Overhead Photography/ Knolling
Overhead photography of traditional Korean bibimbap, photorealistic --ar 16:9
- Drone Shot/ Aerial Shot/ Bird Eye Shot
A bird eye shot photograph of a man jumping off the cliff of waterfalls, Lomography Color Negative 800, hyperrealistic --ar 3:2
- Satellite Angle
Satellite angle photography of the coastline of Portugal, very realistic --ar 21:9
📌 Image Focus
- Shallow Depth of Field/ Shallow Focus (Blur the background and put the focus on the subject)
Portrait of a boy in a hoodie, in the style of urban grunge and hip hop influence, rebellious expressions, gritty texture, shallow depth of field --ar 4:3
- Deep Depth of Field/ Deep Focus (the foreground, middle ground, and background are all in focus)
Inside a restaurant after a flood, deep depth of field, sharp background --ar 1:1
- Defocused/ Out of Focus
Out of focus photography of lights in a rainy night --ar 16:9
- Rack Focus (a technique that involves shifting the focus from one subject to another)
Outdoor Indian market, vibrant colors, rack focus photo, golden hour, UHD --ar 16:9
- Soft Focus (edges of the image are not completely clear or sharp)
Soft focus photography of a blonde fashion model in the 80s --ar 4:3
If you found this article valuable, why not throw me some Medium love? 🥰 What you can do to support me: Clap up to 50, leave a message, highlight some text if you see fit & be sure to follow. 💌
In Part 2 of this article, I will share the cheat codes for Lighting + Weather / Time of Day (and amazing images with their prompts), check it out!
And in Part 3 of this article, I will share the cheat codes for Camera/ Film Types + Description of Realism + Complete Guide to Aspect Ratios , and of course, more jaw-dropping photorealistic images with prompts:
In Part 4 that was just published, I will share 3 of the 8 My Secret Bonus Tips :
In the last Part 5 of the article that was just published, I will share the rest of My Secret Bonus Tips :
Meanwhile, check out my other articles here to learn more Tips and Tricks on using MidJourney:
Here’s a special shoutout to Ms. Bee Lee, for her crucial effort that contributed to creating this article. Follow her Twitter for her “Daily Dose of AI Art”!
🌞 Stay in touch with me:
